Four Shelby County schools have been set to convert to charter schools under the state-run Achievement School District next year.
The Commercial Appeal reported the conversions were announced Friday, just a few days after a Vanderbilt University study suggested the schools would be better off in the local district's Innovation Zone.
While the Achievement Schools District removed low-performing schools from local control, usually placing them with nonprofit charter operators, Innovation Zone schools remained in the local district but with special leeway to make changes.
The decision over converting the schools has been controversial, with parents and officials holding news conferences and rallies. In one rally just before the announcement, State Representative Antonio Parkinson expressed opposition to the Achievement School District and pledged to seek a reallocation of school turnaround resources.
